There are a number of little niceties and services that make Japan a very comfortable place to live. Personally, my favorite has always been the folded toilet paper ends that can often be found in public restroom stalls everywhere. I don’t encounter them especially often, but when I do it brightens my day just like having a robin land on my window sill.
However, you can’t experience such joy without leaving yourself vulnerable to extreme disappointment as well. A prank has recently emerged in Japan which, although seemingly mundane and simple, completely shatters this sense of pleasure and leaves the victim a desolate shell of a person, just like having a robin land on your window sill and start projectile vomiting.

Japan’s otoshidama tradition of giving kids money at New Year’s gets a social welfare upgrade
Is it rude to sing along at concerts in Japan? We ask a pro musician for his take
7-Eleven Japan’s ramen-cooking robot whipped us up a bowl of noodles【Taste test】
Can a dirty butthole make you filthy rich in Japan? We’re starting a New Year’s lottery experiment
Disillusionment at Tsukiji’s tourist-target prices led us to a great ramen restaurant in Tokyo
Japan’s tap-to-pay Suica train card system aims to go tapless with walk-through gates, location data scans
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
Experience the “Color of Water” from a 250-year-old Japanese confection maker!
J-pop megastar Utada Hikaru releases new music video directed by Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno
Japan’s train travel soundscape faces sad change as JR East axes special station departure melodies
Japan may add Japanese language proficiency, lifestyle classes to permanent foreign resident requirements
Starbucks Japan releases new zodiac chilled cup drink for 2026
Lacquerware supplier to emperor of Japan and Pokémon team up for new tableware
Starbucks teams up with 166-year-old Kyoto doll maker for Year of the Horse decorations【Photos】
Starbucks on a Shinkansen bullet train platform: 6 tips for using the automated store in Japan
Is this the most relaxing Starbucks in Japan?
Large amount of supposed human organs left in Osaka marketplace
Tokyo’s Tsukiji sushi neighborhood asks tour groups to stay away for the rest of the month
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes
Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Japan’s tap-to-pay Suica train card system aims to go tapless with walk-through gates, location data scans
7-Eleven Japan starts new temporary luggage storage service in over 300 branches
Experience the “Color of Water” from a 250-year-old Japanese confection maker!
J-pop megastar Utada Hikaru releases new music video directed by Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno
Japan’s train travel soundscape faces sad change as JR East axes special station departure melodies
Are you a control freak, baby, or tough guy? Find out what your sleeping position says about you!
Japanese jam jar lids close on their own, as if by magic
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
Lacquerware supplier to emperor of Japan and Pokémon team up for new tableware
The etiquette rules for visiting Shinto shrines in Japan
Shakey’s is back! All-you-can-eat pizza chain returns to downtown Tokyo’s Shinjuku
A Japanese dating app matched our bachelorette with a Buddhist monk, and she learned some things
Starbucks Japan releases new zodiac chilled cup drink for 2026
Drunk cycling can result in an instantly suspended driver’s license in Japan